My Little Girl
by NeverSayNever95
Summary: "So I held her in my arms and twirled her around the room...I kept my mind on the moment and my beautiful daughter in my arms. For now, nothing could take her from me." Set to "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman.


**Okay, I know I do a lot of songfics, but they're just what I'm best at, so enjoy. I decided to try something besides my usual romantic fluff and do a father/daughter kind of thing with Harry and Lily. Hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or "Cinderella"**

_**She spins and she sways**_

_**To whatever song plays**_

_**Without a care in the world**_

_**And I'm sitting here wearing **_

_**The weight of the world on my shoulders**_

_**It's been a long day**_

_**And there's still work to do**_

Ugh! Sixteen years later and we're still cleaning up Voldemort's mess. I just got through convincing some wannabe Death Eaters that he's really gone…as in there's no way to bring him back this time so stop trying. Damn teenagers! They weren't even alive when I killed the bastard!

Then, no more than ten minutes after I arrived at my house in Godric's Hollow, I received a call informing me that I was behind on my paperwork, and "politely" asking me to have it finished by the end of the day tomorrow. Since my stack had been growing progressively higher for about two months, it looked like I was going to be working all night.

_**She's pulling at me **_

_**Saying, "Dad I need you**_

_**There's a ball at the castle **_

_**And I've been invited**_

_**And I need to practice my dancing**_

_**Oh please, Daddy please?"**_

I had been working for almost four hours when my six year-old daughter, Lily, decided to interrupt. She came in yelling, "Daddy, Daddy!" and I barely put my arms out in time to catch the tutu-clad little girl.

"Oof! What do you need sweetie? You know Daddy's working, and he really needs to get this done." I said patiently, wondering why she wasn't in bed already. Ginny must have been busy with James and Albus when this one slipped through.

"But Daddy! The ball is much more important than dumb old work!" she said earnestly. _Ball? Oookaay, just go with it._

"What ball Lils?" I couldn't stop myself from asking.

"The one at the castle of course! The princess is having a ball for her birthday, and she invited ME!"

"Well if you've been invited then why do you need me?" I asked, honestly not getting it.

"Daddy!" she exclaimed, like it was so obvious, "You have to help me practice my dancing!"

Ah, crap. I really shouldn't. I mean, she should be in bed, and I should be working, but…ugh! She looked so damn cute when she stuck out her bottom lip in a pout. She was a master of the puppy-dog eyes, too, so you just couldn't resist her!

"Please, Daddy? _Please?_"

_**So I'll dance with Cinderella**_

_**While she is here in my arms**_

'_**Cause I know something the prince never knew**_

_**Oh I'll dance with Cinderella**_

_**I don't want to miss even one song**_

'_**Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight**_

_**And she'll be gone**_

I knew Lily could tell when she'd won, because the biggest smile I'd ever seen broke out on her face. _She's gonna be _such _a pain in the ass when she's a teenager! _

"Alright sweetie, but just for a minute, okay?"

She threw her arms around my neck, planted a kiss on my cheek, and said, "Thank you Daddy!"

So I held her in my arms and twirled her around the room to the song she was humming. She had the sweetest smile on her face, and every once in a while I would throw her up into the air, pulling the most beautiful laugh out of her. It made my heart swell, and I tried not to think about the fact that someday there would be a boy who would make her laugh like this. I kept my mind on the moment and my beautiful daughter in my arms. For now, nothing could take her from me.

I don't know how long we continued before I saw Ginny in the doorway from the corner of my eye. She was just staring at us with a smile on her face. Then I saw what time it was and stopped spinning.

"Lily, sweetie, it's time to go to bed. Do you think you're ready for the ball now?"

"Uh huh. Thank you Daddy!" she said, a smile still on her face. She gave me another kiss and then jumped down to run to her mother. I looked after her, smiling slightly, wishing I could just freeze this moment.

_**She says he's a nice guy and I'd be impressed**_

_**She wants to know if I approve of the dress**_

_**She says, "Dad the prom is just one week away**_

_**And I need to practice my dancing**_

_**Oh please, Daddy please?"**_

As Lily walked into the house with Rose today, laughing and carrying in her dress, I flashed back to when she was six, twirling around in her tutu. Now she's seventeen and shopping with her older cousin for ball gowns. I just can't believe how much she's grown up.

As soon as she sees me, she exclaims, "Oh Daddy, you just have to see my dress! Rosie picked it out and it's just gorgeous!"

I shook myself out of my reverie and replied, "Okay, let's see it then."

Her and Rose both laughed. "No, Daddy! You have to see it _on_! I'll be back in a few minutes." Then she turned to her cousin and said, "Rosie, can you help me?" and with that they ran upstairs, leaving me alone with Ginny.

I wrapped my wife in a hug and said, "She's seventeen. When the bloody hell did that happen? And this dance? Who's she going with anyway?" **(AN: Hogwarts decided to have a dance one week after the students got back from winter holidays. I don't know why…just go with it.)**

Ginny looked up at me and replied, "I don't know, some boy in her year."

"What's his name?" I demanded.

"I don't know." She laughed, "She said he's a very nice boy, and I trust her judgment." When she saw the look on my face she added, "Calm down, Harry, before you start to look like Vernon."

Our conversation was cut off as Lily came down the stairs. She looked at me and asked, "What do you think Daddy?"

I couldn't answer her: It was perfect. I sent a silent thanks to Rose, standing behind her, for picking a dress that wouldn't give me a heart attack. It was conservatively cut, but the dark green color made her look gorgeous. When I could finally talk I told her, "It's perfect, sweetie. You look beautiful." She let out a breath I realized she must have been holding, and smiled wide.

"I'm glad you like it. But the dance is only one week away, and you know what that means, don't you?" she said as she stepped off the stairs into the living room.

"What?"

She flicked her wand, turning on the stereo, and replied, "I need to practice my dancing, of course!"

I looked at her warily, not sure whether this was a good idea. I wasn't exactly coordinated. Then she said, "Please, Daddy? _Please?_" and I was transported back to another time. She was six years old, and we were twirling around, her laughing in my arms.

_**So I'll dance with Cinderella**_

_**While she is here in my arms**_

'_**Cause I know something the prince never knew**_

_**Oh I'll dance with Cinderella**_

_**I don't want to miss even one song**_

'_**Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight**_

_**And she'll be gone**_

_**She will be gone**_

So stretched out my arms and stepped forward. Lily smiled and stepped into them, and then we were twirling around the room, just like when she was going to the princess' ball. Only this time, there was no tutu, and I couldn't pick her up or throw her in the air. And this time, I couldn't keep my mind off the fact that very soon, she would be in some boy's arms. Some boy that I didn't know, and that would never love her as much as I did.

I guess I wasn't smiling enough, because Lily asked, "What are you thinking about, Daddy?"

"Nothing really," I replied, not wanting to ruin the moment.

"C'mon Daddy," she said with the smirk that made her a Potter, "we both know that's crap. Just tell me."

I rolled my eyes and replied, "I just can't believe how fast you're growing up. It seems like just yesterday you were a little ballerina twirling around the house. And now you're going to a dance…with a boy."

Lily let out a laugh and said, "So that's what's wrong! The boy! Daddy, don't worry. No boy is ever going to mean more to me than you."

"Well, even though you are obviously sucking up, it does make me feel a little better."

She started laughing again, before looking at the clock. "Oh crap! I've got to go pack my stuff. I leave for Hogwarts tomorrow!"

Taking a second to kiss me on the cheek, Lily grabbed Rose and dashed upstairs. The two girls spent the rest of the evening packing, only gracing us with their presence when dinner was on the table. Then, before I knew it, my baby girl was on her way out the door. She gave all of us a hug goodbye, since she'd finally convinced Ginny and I that she was old enough to go to the train station by herself, then left. Her brothers had stayed at school, so it was just her, and my worry for her safety almost outweighed my concern over the boy thing.

Finally, right before the door closed, I said, "Lily?"

She turned around and replied, "Yeah, Daddy?"

I hesitated for an instant before voicing my fear. "Just…don't let this boy steal you away from me, okay?"

Lily laughed and said, "Relax! We're just going to a dance together. It's not like I'm getting married or anything!"

_**Well, she came home today with a ring on her hand**_

_**Just glowing and telling us all they had planned**_

_**She says, "Dad the wedding's still six months away**_

_**But I need to practice my dancing**_

_**Oh please, Daddy please?"**_

Lily was coming home today. Well, okay, she wasn't exactly coming home, but she was visiting. And she said that she had big new to tell everyone. 'Cause that didn't sound ominous at all. Pretty much the only news my twenty-three year old daughter could tell me without causing a heart attack would be a promotion at work. And that news could be told over the phone.

James, Albus, Ginny and I were all waiting for Lily by the living room fireplace since she was coming by Floo. When the flames finally turned green I saw red hair flying towards me and heard a voice screaming, "Daddy!" Then I was almost knocked over as my now grown up daughter smothered me in a hug.

I let out a laugh and said, "I missed you too, Sweetie, but don't you think you should say hi to the rest of your family?"

She laughed too, and after another minute, let go of me to hug everyone else. Ginny, while receiving her hug, asked, "So what's this big news you were talking about?"

Then the flames in the fireplace turned green again, and a tall figure stepped hesitantly into the room.

"Teddy?" I asked. "What are you doing here? I thought you were gonna go meet your girlfriend's parents." I was _very _confused.

Then I caught sight of something glittering on Lily's left ring finger. _No no no no! This is _not _happening! _"Lily…" I said threateningly, hoping to get some answers.

Lily glanced at Teddy, who was looking a bit sick and said, "Well, Daddy, Teddy _is _seeing his girlfriend's parents. Although, technically, I'm not his girlfriend anymore."

Then it all came together in my mind. I was in shock. I couldn't speak, and I _definitely _couldn't respond.

"See, um…Teddy and I are engaged." she finished, staring straight at me.

I turned and walked into my office amid girlish shrieks of joy and the sound of my sons congratulating Teddy and Lily.

"Daddy?"

I had been holed up in my office for a couple of hours now, brooding on the fact that my godson was marrying my daughter. "Yeah sweetie?"

"You're not mad, are you?" she asked timidly.

"No, I'm not mad. Just…surprised." I replied with a humorless laugh.

Lily walked into my office and came to sit on my lap.

"You know, you're getting way too big for this."

She laughed and said, "I know. Daddy you know Teddy will take good care of me. And we're not going to live that far away, so it's not like he's stealing me away from you."

"I know, sweetie, but…wait, you guys already know where you're going to live?" I asked incredulously.

"Well, yeah. We already have everything all planned out. You raised us well." she said with a nervous smile, like maybe I would get mad at her little joke.

I decided to let it slide and asked, "When's the wedding, then?"

"It's in six months. But you know…that's not as far away as it sounds." she replied wryly. I just looked at her, wondering what the bloody hell she was getting.

"And you know, I really need to practice my dancing." she finished with a smile.

"Lily…" I said wearily.

"Please, Daddy? _Please?_"

_**So I'll dance with Cinderella**_

_**While she is here in my arms**_

'_**Cause I know something the prince never knew**_

_**Oh I'll dance with Cinderella**_

_**I don't want to miss even one song**_

'_**Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight**_

Even after all these years, I still couldn't resist her. So I motioned for her to get off my lap and walked over to turn on some music.

"Come here." I said while holding my arms out to her.

She stepped up to me, and we began to twirl around the room, just like we'd done when she was a little girl. Looking at her, I couldn't believe that in a few years, she might have children of her own.

"Lily, it's fine that you guys are getting married, but why didn't you tell us you were even dating?" I asked to break the near silence.

"Well, we didn't know how you would react, and then we didn't know if it was even going to work out. I mean, we didn't want to tell you all, then break up and have everything be all awkward. So we decided to just wait."

"Fine, but I really wish you would have at least told me. I was there through your Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione's relationship. I am the king of managing awkwardness."

Lily laughed at that, saying, "I know, Daddy, and I'm really sorry. Forgive me?"

"I already have." We both smiled, and then she kissed me on the cheek and leaned her head against my shoulder.

We continued like that for an entire CD before deciding we should join the others. But before we went out there, I took a few moments to hold my baby girl as close to me as possible. And as we sat, talked, and laughed with the rest of the family, I tried to keep my thoughts cheerful. I tried not to think about the fact that Lily was about to start her own family and her own life. Or that she was no longer my little ballerina, or my teenager who got all dressed up for a school dance. She was a grown woman now, even if I didn't want to admit I, and I couldn't get back the time that I'd lost.

A few days later, Lily and Teddy left, but before they did, my daughter gave me a huge hug, reassuring me that I'd see her soon.

"You know Mom will want to be involved with the wedding, so we'll probably be hear all the time." she said with a laugh.

"I know," I replied, joining her in her laughter, "just…don't forget your Dad when you're a married woman, okay?"

"Never," she said, and gave me one last hug while both of us held back our tears.

_**And she'll be gone**_

**So, there you go. I tried to get it out on Father's Day, but I had crap to do, so it's a day late. Please review! Seriously, they make my day! :D**

**Mel**


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